The present invention generally relates to a video tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus, or a video tape recorder, of a type utilizing a video tape cassette or cartridge.
A majority of currently commercially available video tape recorders are so designed that a video cartridge can be set in position in the recorder by horizontally inserting the video cartridge into a cartridge holder at the top of the cabinet and then allowing it to be automatically lowered to a play position. This is because it has long been considered ideal that the cartridge having a portion of the video tape exposed to the outside through a cutout area in the cartridge should, when placed at the play position, occupy a position with that exposed portion of the video tape facing a guide cylinder assembly in view of the necessity of a loading procedure in which that exposed portion of the video tape is drawn out of the cartridge and then turned through a predetermined angle around the guide cylinder assembly.
On the other hand, a majority of commercially available audio tape decks are so designed that an audio tape cassette can be set in position in the tape deck by generally vertically inserting it into a cassette holder located on the front of the cabinet and on one side laterally of control and adjustment knobs. This arrangement is advantageous in that the top of the cabinet of any of these audio tape decks is available for placement of any other articles thereon and in that the deck can be placed in a rack in which the height of a space between one shelf to another is limited. It has long been desired that even the video tape recorder can offer similar advantages.
However, where the video cartridge holder in the video tape recorder is to be arranged in a manner similar to the cassette holder in the above described audio tape deck, the loading procedure will become complicated and difficult to perform because that exposed portion of the video tape must be drawn out of the cartridge in a direction generally laterally of the cartridge prior to being turned around the guide cylinder assembly located on one side laterally of the cartridge holder.
Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide an improved video tape recorder of a type having a cartridge holder arranged in a manner similar to the cassette holder in the conventional audio tape deck of the above described type, wherein the loading procedure can easily and smoothly be performed.